HollyShorts Dubai, the prestigious Oscar® and BAFTA-qualifying short film festival, successfully concluded its first edition at a vibrant Closing Awards Ceremony. The event’s Awards ceremony, held at Firdaus Studio in Expo City, Dubai, celebrated the winning film submissions, with the four inaugural winners sharing trophies and prize packages valued at nearly $8,000 in total. Sponsors contributing to the prize pool and event management included Future Art Broadcast Trading, Aperture, Firdaus Studio, Delano Dubia, Urban Films, IMGN, and Berg & Bark, among other key supporters.
Heralded as a major success by the local and international film community, the organization announced its highly anticipated return for the second annual edition, scheduled for January 14-17, 2027. Submissions for entries of the next edition of the Festival will open this week. To better align with the local UAE film landscape and capitalize on its momentum as the definitive short-form festival in the Middle East, HollyShorts Dubai also unveiled a brand refresh, including a new logo, powered by branding experts at the xx Agency in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Theo Dumont, Founder of HollyShorts, expressed his enthusiasm: “We are thrilled with the reception from the local film community in Dubai, which welcomed us with open arms. Their support was unbelievable and provided a strong foundation for us to continue in the direction of providing a valuable film festival, stressing educational initiatives and key networking opportunities. There is a definite need for HollyShorts to not only continue but thrive.”
The ceremony was highlighted by a keynote address from BAFTA winner Hayder Rothschild Hoozeer, who screened his latest short film, Rock, Paper, Scissors. Mr. Hoozeer offered valuable tips on overcoming the numerous challenges in film production and brought his iconic BAFTA trophy for attendees to see and hold up close.